Dispensing device for soda-water fountains.



G. W. SPEYBR.

DISPENSING DEVICE FOR SODA; WATER FOUNTAINS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6,vl909 Patented May 16, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEBT l.

WITNESSES.-

U s L 0 o R INVENTOR. I k 0e I Q eoqyeE-Speyer,

ATTORNEY.

1m: mmms PET-5R5 co., WASHINGTON, D- c,

G. W. SPEYER.

DISPENSING DEVICE FOR SODA WATER FOUNTAINS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1909.

Patented May 16, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ev-Y .r Ra m M 1 WITNESSES.-

uaz 556 A TTORNEY wnsymcrulv, n. c.

ICE.

DISPENSING DEVICE FOR SODA WATER FOUNTAINS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SPEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Dispensing Device for Soda-Tater Fountains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing straws or tubes such as are used at soda fountains and has for its principal object the improvements in the details of construction and general arrangement of parts of such apparatus.

In the drawings :Figure 1, is a view in front elevation of apparatus embodying the invention, Fig. 2, is a view in side elevation thereof, Fig. 3, is a similar view with a portion of the casing removed to show details of construction, Fig. 4, is a similar view principally in section to show internal construction, Fig. 5, is a fragmentary view in elevation illustrating the operating mechanism in a position for ejecting a straw, Fig. 6, is a similar view in section thereof, and Fig. 7, is a similar view in plan illustrating certain parts shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, the base 1, preferably of marble or other material, is shown as having mounted thereon standards 2, of generally inverted triangular shape, provided intermediate of their base and top with a generally funnel shaped casing 3. The upper portions of the standards 2, have th-erebetween at the front, rear and sides thereof glass or other coverings 4 and 5 and 6. Thus the upper portion of the apparatus and the casing 3, serve to form a straw receiving compartment or hopper, the interior of which converges to form an elongated egress openmg Arranged in juxtaposition to and normally closing the egress opening 7, is a horizontally arranged slide 8, that works back and forth through slots 9, in the standards 2, through the instrumentality of mechanism hereinafter described. The rear wall of the casing 3, is slotted at intervals, (see Figs. 4, G and 7) as at 10, to accommodate reciproeating fingers 11, which regulate or control the ejection of straws from the device. As shown, the fingers 11, are fixed to an oscillating shaft 12, journaled in the standards 2. These fingers 11, are provided with a gen- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 6, 1909.

Patented May 16, 1911.

Serial No. 506,181.

a claw-like lower portion 14, the purpose of which will appear hereinafter.

Arranged at each side of the apparatus are depression levers 15, having pivotal relation as at 16, with the standards 2 (see Fig. 3) said levers being provided adjacent ends of said levers 20, being forked as at 23, and shown as passing through the opening 18", of the slide 8. The levers 22, are shown as having pivotal relation as at 24, with arms 25, which are fixed to the shaft 12. Springs 26, are present to return the above described parts to normal position, it being understood that the mechanism 'upon each side of the apparatus is similar in every respect. The above described parts are shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as being incased as at 27. The straws, when ejected one at a time by the above mechanism, fall upon the forwardly extending brackets 28, carried by and fixed to the standards 2. A lid or cover 29, is present to render the receptacle clustproof. Shown as surmounting the cover 29, is a spring clip or clasp 30, adapted to receive and support an advertisement bearing card 31.

The operation of the above-described apparatus may be described as follows :The normal position of the operating parts is disclosed in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, and as shown in the latter figure, two straws a and Z), rest between the strip 33, carried by the fingers 11, portions 32, and the slide 8. As the levers 15, are depressed from either side of the device, arms 40, carried by the rock shaft 19, and working in slots 41, in the casing 3, in Figs. 6 and 7, move forward to break up as it were the arc of straws and the projections 17, of the levers 15, move forward the slide 8, to clear the egress opening 7, to permit the lowermost straw a, to gravitate to the brackets 28. Simultaneously therewith, through the movements of the levers 20 and 22, the shaft 12, is caused to spring upward the fingers 11, thereby causing the claw-like portions 14, to catch erally inclined upper portion 13, and with and retain in suspended position the uppermost of said straws I), (see Fig. 6) until the levers 15, are released. and return to normal position by the springs 26. hen the parts return to normal position, the uppermost straw Z), will be deposited upon the slide 8, and another straw 0, in the mean time, will have gravitated beneath the strip 33, (see Fig. 6). In this connection it may be re- .marked that the strip 33, carried by the part 32, of the fingers 11, and the strip 34, carried by the inclined portions 13, of the fingers 11, serve to prevent the straws from being jammed and broken between the parts as the fingers reciprocate back and forth through the slots 10, of the casing 3. The strip 34, also serves to assist the arm 4L0, in breaking up and pushing the pile of straws away in order that some of them may readily gravitate toward the egress opening.

What I claim is 1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a straw receiving hopper having a contracted egress chute, a reciprocating slide for openil'ig and closing said chute, pivotally supported fingers terminating in depending claw-like portions normally bridging the hopper space above said slide, throughout the hopper length the space re maining between said slide and fingers normally containing at least two straws, pivotal arms arranged opposite the aforesaid fingers for moving into the hopper for breaking up the arc of straws therein and a depressible lever operatively connected with said slide arms and fingers whereby when said lever is depressed said are of straws is broken and one of said straws is permitted to egress and the other straw retained by said clawlike portions.

2. The combination with a straw receiv ing hopper, having an egress opening, of a straw receiv ng support below said opening, a reciprocatmg slide, reciprocating fingers equipped with claw-like extremities, located adjacent said egress point, for selecting and delivering thereto one at a time straws, arms arranged opposite said fingers for breaklng up the arc of straws withln the hopper and a system of levers operatively connecting said slide, fingers and arms.

3. In combination a straw-receiving hopper the inner walls of which converge in an egress opening, a medium for opening and closing said opening, a rock shaft, fingers terminating in claw-like extremities fixed thereto and projected within said hopper above the egress opening, said fingers and claw-like extremities being adapted to select and deliver one at a time straws to said opening, pivotal arms arranged opposite said fingers for moving into the hopper for breaking up the are of straws therein, and means operatively arranged and connected between said opening and closing medium and said rock shaft for actuating the said arms and fingers and their complemental claw-like extremities.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising a pair of standards having therebetween a straw receiving hopper converging in a vertically disposed elongated single egress opening of narrow cross-section, a reciprocating slide working in said standards for closing and opening the egress point, a pivotally supported plate normally closing the hopper space throughout the length thereof arranged above said slide, pivotal fingers arranged opposite said plate for moving into the hopper for breaking up the arc of straws therein and a depressible lever pivotally carried by each of the standards operatively connected with and adapted to simultaneously operate said slide, plate and fingers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

GEORGE V. SPEYER.

Vitnesses JULIA T. CRANE, UTLEY E. CRANE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

